Self-sealing petrol tank or other container



C. A. CLIEGHOWN SELF SEALING PETROL TANKv OR OTHER CONTAINER Filed July 9, 1919 ay i, iena atente BHABBEE GWB BLBtGl-ltlltlltlll, UB WBUlEtlll' BBB, 111

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Application tlcal truly t, tutu. serial tto. wute.

, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Beltealing Betrol'lFanlre or Uther Containers, ot which the tollowing is a specication. l,

llhis invention is,r tor improvements in or l@ relating to seltsealing etrol-tanks or other containers and has tor its object to provide a container ot this lrind which maybe ineapensive to manufacture and more etlective than those at present in use.

According to this invention a container for lluids comprises a layer of tleaible material (tor example rubber) having a cellular tace and a'coating ot 'llurlrish birdlime on the .cellular tace, vv'which coated :tace may con- All stitute the inner surface ot the container or may be covered with another layer ot ma terial.

llttreterahly the layer loit material having the cellular surface is composed ot spongerubber o-r other material which is cellular throughout. rlhe cellular material may be maintained under pressure by an outer wrapping, tor example et canvas, and itl desired, it may be supported within by a lining ot stitlt material such 'for example as corlr.

lln the accompanying drawing, lligure l is .a cross-section ot one construction ot petroltanlr according to the present invention, and v Y lFigure 2 is a fragmentary section oli a modilied torni ot construction.

lLilre ret'erence characters have been utilized to indicate lilre parts in both ot the gures. t@ l Beterringlirst to Figure l, the inner wall A is oith corlr to provide a supporting lining upon which the other layers can be built up.

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The tank is cylindrical in term and the corlr may comprise one or more layers wrapped round a mandrel to provide a sleeve, and end discs are then applied to close the ends ot the sleeve. Surrounding the cork is a layer ot sponge-rubber B which is coated on its innerl tace with birdlime indicated at B1. 'lhe sponge-rubber may be applied in a layer round the side walls and then end-caps i placed. in position to cover the ends, and the whole is held in position by a wrapping ot' canvas B.. 'llo give a nish to the tanlr and titl provide a rigid exterior theretor, an outer lt casing ot metal D is provided, which may be built up in any desired manner, one end being lett open'so that the container composed ot corlr, sponge-rubber and wrapping ot canvas can be thrust into it, and then an il@ end-cover soldered or otherwise can be secured over the open end. A connection is shown at lil for a delivery-pipe.

@bviously the sponge-rubber may be coated on both sides with birdlime it desired, @A and the cork may be coated on the inner side with birdlime to render it non-porous. @auch a construction is illustrated in vlEigure 2 in which the sponge-rubber has onI its two laces layers B1 and B2 ot birdlime, and the corlr l@ has on its inner tace a layer B3 ot birdlime.

llt will be appreciated that instead ot sponge-rubber, other material such as woven fabrics made in such manner as to provide a cellular surface may be used to receive the im coating ot birdlime, the object being to provide a holding means tor the birdlime, and the cellular structure attords such holding means. Similarly rubber could be used having a cellular surface and not made cellular All throughout as will be readily understood. By a'cellular surface, is meant'such a sur- ;tace as comprises cells or holes much larger than are present in the ordinaryy type ot canvas or other tabric. lin this latter the inten' stices between the strands or threads are too small to aoid ellicient holdingmeans tor the birdlime. Cells orholes ot less than onetenth or one-sixteenth ot an inch will not in most cases be satistactory.

The invention is not limited to petrol-containers but is applicable also to pneumatic tyres, the cellular surtace of the material carrying the Turkish birdlime serving1 the same purpose therein, namely to lrecpthe All rlurlrish birdlime in place tor sealing purposes. lltV has;y previously been proposed to use 'lturlrish birdlime as a self-sealing means in tyres, where the inner surtace oit the said tyres was roughened to facilitate the applil0@ cation ot the birdlime, but it has not been proposed to use a material having a cellular surface to retain said hirdlime in place.

Obviously the stift" outer casing D may be dispensed with and also the stint" inner lining the A is not essential, as although it is desired to have the layer B under compression, this `being ot sponge-rubber would be in any case All compressed by the outer wrapping of canvas provided a thick enough layer of rubber' be employed to offer lsome resistance.

In operation the sponge-rubber tends to close up after a bullet has passed through it, and the birdlime completes the sealing.

The birdlime may be applied to the sponge-rubber under pressure to drive it as far as possible into the same, and obviously two or more layers of sponge-rubber with birdlime between them may be employed if desired.

The Turkish birdlime is preferably prepared for use either by the process described in the specification of United States patent Serial No. 268405 or by the process described in the specification of British Patent No. 758/1919.

What I claim as m invention and desire to secure by Letters atent is l. A container for fluids comprising. a layer of sponge rubber and a coating of Turkish birdlime disposed on the face o the rubber.

2. A container for fluids comprising a layer of sponge rubber and a coating of Turkish birdlime disposed on that face of the rubber which is directed towards the interior of the container.

3. A container for fluids comprising a layer of sponge rubber and a coating of Turkish birdlime disposed on the face of the rubber which coating is covered with another layer of material.

4. A container for fluids comprising a layer of rubber having a cellular face Wherein the cells are much larger than in canvas of ordinary type and a coating of Turkish birdlime on the cellular face which coated face is covered with another layer of material.

5. A container for fluids comprising a layer of flexible material which is cellular throughout, and a coating of Turkish birdlime on both sides of said layer.

6. A container for fluids comprising a layer of sponge rubber which is cellular throughout and a coating of Turkish birdlime applied to both sides of the layer.

7. A container for fluids comprising a layer of flexible material having a cellular face of the character described, a coating of Turkish birdlime on the cellular face and an outer wrapping applied to the layer of Aflexible material to maintain it under pressure.

8.'A container for fluids comprising a layer of flexible material having a cellular face of the character described, a coating of Turkish birdlime on the cellular face, an outer wrapping applied to the layer of flexible material to maintain it under pressure and an inner supporting lining of stiff material.

9. A container for fluids comprising a layer of flexible material having a cellular face of the character described, a coating of Turkish birdlime on the cellular face, and an outer canvas wrapping to maintain the flexible material under pressure.

10. A container for fluids comprising a layer of rubber havin a cellular face, a coating of Turkish bir lime on the cellular face, an outer Wrapping of canvas applied to the rubber to maintain it under pressure and an inner supporting lining of cork.

11. A container for fluids comprising a layer of rubber having a cellular face, a coating of Turkish birdlime on the cellular face, an inner supporting lining of cork, an outer canvas wrapping to maintain the rubber under pressure and a stiff protecting covering outside of the canvas.

l2. A container for fluids comprising a layer of rubber having a cellular face, a coating of Turkish birdline on the cellular face, an inner supporting lining of cork, an outer canvas wrapping to maintain the rubber under pressure and a metal protecting casing on the outside of the canvas.

ln testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

CHARLES ANGUS CLEGHORN. 

